Ed Sheeran buries his face in his hands in relief when he is cleared of charges that his hit song Thinking Out Loud is a copy of Marvin Gaye’s Let’s Get It On
- Ed Sheeran’s ‘Thinking Out Loud’ Didn’t Copy Marvin Gaye Classic ‘Let’s Get It On’
Ed Sheeran’s hit “Thinking Out Loud” is not a copy of Marvin Gaye’s classic “Let’s Get It On,” a jury has found.
Ed Sheeran heard the verdict in Manhattan federal court in his $100 million copyright lawsuit — which his lawyer said “should never have been brought.”
While the New York jury answered in the affirmative to the single question of whether 32-year-old Sheeran proved he had not infringed on copyright, the singer briefly put his hands on his face in relief before standing up and hugging his lawyer.
Finally, his attorney Ilene Farkas said similarities in the chord progressions and rhythms of Marvin Gaye’s “Let’s Get it On” and Sheeran’s “Thinking Out Loud” were “the letters of the musical alphabet.”
“These are basic musical building blocks that songwriters should be free to use now and forever, or we who love music will all become poorer,” she said.
Ed Sheeran arrived in Manhattan federal court this morning awaiting jurors’ verdict in his $100 million copyright lawsuit
Sheeran was led into court today as he awaits his fate from the jurors
Sheeran has strongly denied allegations that his song stole fundamental musical elements from Marvin Gaye’s song.
Jurors who were sent home shortly after closing arguments returned this morning to deliberate.
Sheeran vehemently denied allegations that his song stole basic musical elements from Gaye’s song. The lawsuit was filed by the heirs of the song’s co-writer, Ed Townsend.
The 32-year-old singer has been so outspoken about his stance that he’s put his entire career on it and vowed he’ll be ‘done’ with music if found guilty.
Keisha Rice, representing Townsend’s heirs, said her clients did not claim to possess the basic elements of the music, but rather “the way these common elements were uniquely combined.”
‘Mr. Sheeran reckons you will be very, very blown away by his commercial success,” she said, urging the judges to use their “common sense” to decide whether the songs are similar.
Sheeran has said that if he loses the $100 million lawsuit, it could be the end of his music career.
“If that happens, I’m done, I’ll stop,” Sheeran said when asked at trial about the toll the case has taken.
“I find it really insulting to dedicate my entire life to being an artist and a songwriter and have someone diminish it.”
Composer Ed Townsend’s family arrives for musician Ed Sheeran’s copyright infringement lawsuit
Ed Sheeran arrives at a federal court in Manhattan on May 3 before finalizing his statements
Sheeran has vehemently denied ripping Marvin Gaye’s song ‘Let’s Get it On’
Sheeran leaves Manhattan federal court after closing statements at his trial
A jury will resume deliberations on Thursday in the $100 million case
Townsend’s heirs sued Sheeran, his label Warner Music Group, and his music publisher Sony Music Publishing in 2017 alleging infringement of their copyright interest in Gaye’s song.
Sheeran and his co-writer, Amy Wadge, both testified at trial that they did not copy “Let’s Get It On.” Sheeran said he was only superficially familiar with the song and that “Thinking Out Loud” was inspired by Irish musician Van Morrison.
Gaye, who died in 1984, teamed up with Townsend, who died in 2003, to write “Let’s Get It On,” which topped the Billboard charts in 1973. “Thinking Out Loud” peaked at number 2 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 2015.
Sheeran is also facing “Thinking Out Loud” claims in the same court from a company owned by investment banker David Pullman that holds copyrights to Gaye’s song.
Sheeran won a lawsuit in London last year in a separate copyright case over his hit “Shape of You.”
Gaye’s heirs won a $5.3 million judgment in 2015 in a lawsuit alleging that Robin Thicke and Pharrell Williams’ song “Blurred Lines” was a copy of Gaye’s “Got to Give It Up.”